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David Tashjian, vice president, sales and marketing for Comcast's Mountain West Region, based in Denver, Colorado, has just concluded a meeting with a group of the organization's rising leaders. When asked for follow-up feedback, several commented on his openness and candor. "He shared his personal struggles."
David's reputation precedes him. It's widely known that he is highly engaged, focused on results, and dedicated to developing people; however, what seemed to resonate with many of these leaders was David's transparency about life's challenges.
Dr. Carol Dweck, professor of psychology and researcher at Stanford University, would classify David as a "growth mindset" individual. (See sidebar, "Growth vs. Fixed Mindset," on page 29.) For 25 years, she has studied the characteristics of success and has divided personalities into growth and fixed mindsets1. People like David, with a growth mindset, are curious by nature and believe their talents, skills, and abilities will grow over time; those whose are fixed, by contrast, assume they can't go any further in their learning and are hesitant or, in the extreme, threatened by mistakes. As a result, someone with a growth mindset can embrace mistakes and see them as opportunities for enrichment.
I met David before he transitioned into his current job in Denver. I'm a consultant, facilitator, and coach who helps leaders and their teams elevate their leadership game. Neuroscience and behavioral science is my backdrop to help illustrate the dynamic between people's physiology and psychology, and what they can change about themselves. My specialty is helping them gain awareness of the relationship among thoughts, behavior, and how others perceive them. This is why I was brought in to work with David.
This case study is about David's deliberate decision to transform challenging feedback into positive action and, as a cornerstone of that process, model and teach the transparency and candor that will ultimately make him a more effective leader.
Part One: David Gains Insight
People who work with David today say he is an extraordinary leader, but that wasn't the case seven years ago. Caroline Aspenson, VP of HR at Comcast, says, "We were worried that David had just this one, perhaps fatal, flaw. He was resultsdriven but could be perceived to be a loud bully." Leadership recognized he succeeded at...